Mark Zuckerberg
Candlefocus EditorBorn in 1984, Zuckerberg grew up in Dobbs Ferry, New York and was always interested in computers and technology. At age 12, he developed a messaging program in order to communicate with his friends on AOL. He then attended Harvard University, where he developed a website call Facebook in 2004 while studying psychology and computer science. The website quickly gained popularity, with users soon reaching one million in 2004.
With a goal of connecting people around the globe, Zuckerberg and his team sought to create a platform that could be used by people across the world. Slowly, Zuckerberg diversified Facebook's features, and some of the features that were added include photo albums, ‘Like’ button, a game platform and video chat. He also launched messaging app ‘WhatsApp’ in 2009 and ‘Instagram’ in 2010. As of 2022, Facebook boasted 2.93 billion monthly active users, making it the world's largest social network.
In addition to running Facebook, Zuckerberg has also pursued philanthropy and activism. He, along with his wife Priscilla Chan, founded the Chan Zuckerberg foundation in 2015 with a goal to deliver personalized learning, curing disease, connecting people and building strong communities. He has also been an advocate of immigration reform, signing an open letter prepared by FWD.us, a bipartisan advocacy group he co-founded.
In April 2018, Zuckerberg testified on Capitol Hill about Facebook's use of users' information, including the sharing of 87 million users' information to Cambridge Analytica. Despite the controversy and scrutiny that followed, Zuckerberg remained firm and continued to defend the company.
Mark Zuckerberg has made a lasting impression in the tech industry, revolutionizing how people communicate and socialize with one another. With his unwavering ambition, Zuckerberg seeks to make a difference in the world and continues to build on his legacy.